Spain: The Rich Neighbor - The border-town of La Linea is close to bankruptcy. Many citizens actually earn their living outside the Euro zone by smuggling or working illegally on the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. La Linea is struggling to pay its employees, and the town is facing massive unemployment. That's quite a contrast to the heady days of the 1980s and 1990s when it was known for its laissez-faire attitude. Back then corruption was quite open and the town's bureaucracy was huge. Now the town's true financial situation is slowly coming to light. Poland: Homeless in Krakow - Icorn is an international association of cities dedicated helping persecuted writers. The Polish city of Krakow has adopted a blogger called Kareem who had to flee his native Egypt. He studied law in Alexandria and spoke out in favor of a secular state with equal rights for women. This commitment brought him a five-year prison sentence in which he also suffered torture, long before the uprising against Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak. Now Kareem's year in Krakow is ending, and he's hoping to get refugee status somewhere in Scandinavia. Returning to Egypt is not an option. "Small Worlds" Series: Part 3 - Romania: The Turkish Enclave of Ada Kaleh - The island of Ada Kaleh on the River Danube used to be filled with bustling activity, coffee houses and Turkish bazaars. But about 40 years ago the island in southern Romania had to be evacuated to because of a hydroelectric plant being installed. The authorities promised residents that they could relocate to the downstream island of Simian and that everything would be rebuilt there. But Simian is now a waste land. Only part of the old fortress was rebuilt, and a number of graves were moved. The former inhabitants of Ada Kaleh were forced to reconstruct a new life for themselves on the mainland. Britain/Germany: A Taste for Things German - Brits having a hankering for things German - from the country's cars to the capital city of Berlin. The traditional German sausage, the "bratwurst", is more popular than ever. "Hermann ze German" is the brainchild of a young couple originally from the Black Forest region. Two years ago they opened their first sausage outlet under the name, and others have followed. Even their slogan plays on a stereotypical German accent "Our wurst is ze best". And the hungry Brits come in droves.

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EUROPEAN JOURNAL looks beyond the headlines and sound bites to deliver relevant, unbiased and imaginative reporting on the events shaping the political, economic and cultural landscape of Europe.

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